Death toll from Rizvia building collapse rises to 17

Case registered against building owner, who is ‘on the run’

KARACHI: As rescue services retrieved several more bodies from the rubble of the residential building that collapsed on Thursday in Rizvia Society, the death toll from the tragedy rose to 17, while 32 others were injured.

The collapsed building left the adjoining building bent and it is feared that it may collapse, while several parts of a third building have also collapsed. Additionally, a fourth building has been declared 'dangerous.'

Rescue operations by the police, Rangers, army, fire department, Sindh Building Control Authority (SBCA) and relief services continued the day after the collapse of the five-storey building. The efforts were temporarily halted late on Thursday night due to the darkness, but were soon resumed with the help of streetlights, generators and searchlights.

The casualties include four children, as well as eight women and four men. Between late Thursday night and Friday evening, three bodies, identified as Farrukh Usman, 35, his one-year-old son Hassan, and his sister-in-law, Noreen, were retrieved.

Many of those injured were discharged from the hospital after receiving first aid. However, three people are still undergoing treatment at Abbasi Shaheed Hospital (ASH).

Meanwhile, nine people, including four members of a single family, were laid to rest after funeral prayers on Friday. They included Shahila Abdul Rasheed, her two daughters Saira, 15, and Hira, 13, and her son Abdul Rauf, 2.

Still missing

It is also feared that more people are trapped under the rubble. Ishrat Bibi had been missing since the building collapsed, according to her husband, Syed Muhammad Raza. He told The Express Tribune that his wife had left their house to shop for groceries on Thursday but did not return. Saying that he had searched all the hospitals to no avail, he added that he was worried she was also in the debris.

"Seven people are still missing, but it is premature to say whether they were trapped under the debris or not," said Rehan Hashmi, a senior municipal official.

Narrow alleyways restricted the access of heavy machinery to the disaster site, which meant that much of the rubble was being cleared manually, slowing down rescue efforts.

Case registered

An FIR, citing negligence, damage to private and public property and deaths due to the incident, was registered against the building's owner at the Rizvia police station on behalf of the government. The owner is currently on the run.

According to the FIR, the owner, Javed Khan, had committed criminal negligence in the construction of the building, due to which the structure had collapsed. It further states that the building was constructed in violation of regulations, for which various government officials are to blame.

According to sources in the police, Khan was also injured in the incident, and was taken to the hospital. When the police tried to locate him, he had fled.

A thorough probe

Sindh Information, Local Government and Housing and Town Planning Minister Nasir Hussain Shah, meanwhile, said on Thursday that severe action would be taken against anyone found to be involved in the tragedy.

Visiting the location, he said that he would personally supervise the investigation, while the Sindh government was monitoring the treatment of the injured to ensure they received the best possible care.

Talking to the media, he promised a thorough probe into the 'regrettable incident' and stated that action would be taken against whoever was found to be responsible, whether it was the builder or the SBCA. He further said that the government would ensure that no such incident occurred in the future.

With additional information from AFP 

Published in The Express Tribune, March 7^th, 2020.